Project that Duncan and I are working on from March to September 2025.
Goal
Build a box with a few simple knobs/switches that can play location-specific sonification, i.e. convert location-specific data like temperature, air quality, etc. into sound. Hardware: Raspberry Pi Software: probably Pure Data or RNBO Body: wood?, cardboard (for prototypes), 3D printed components?, laser cutting?
Inspiration from Ambient Machine by Yuri Suzuki https://www.yurisuzuki.com/projects/the-ambient-machine
Steps
(Duncan is doing the sonification-specific things, so I’m only logging the RPi- and body-relevant stuff)
- Figure out how to play sound/music from the RPi
- Figure out how to stream an online station from the RPi
- Design the box itself and where to place the connections
- Make a working prototype of the box that can be opened/accessed
Resources
- Laser cut boxes
- My First Synth: Detailed instructions on how to make a synth toy for kids. Laser-cut plywood box with box joints, https://www.instructables.com/My-First-Synth/
Progress
P00 Figuring out RaspberryPi P01 Cardboard prototypes P02 Inspiration search and feasibility P04 3D design of prototype P05 Assembly of box
Inspo
Description for Gallerihelg
What does a cloudless sky on a warm day sound like? What about a rainy night, with the international space station passing overhead, and an internet full of bots? The Sonification Machine suggests an answer, allowing us to hear the physical and digital environment that surrounds us. Eight complementary soundscapes are created by live streams of data captured by sensors around the world. Each can be switched on and off to build a unique ambient audio experience - the result of a collaboration between the listener, the designers, and the vast, invisible infrastructure that underpins society. With more than 250 possible sound combinations, and each sound changing as the world changes around us, the possibility space is vast - and waiting to be explored.
Write-up
https://www.loudnumbers.net/sonificationmachine
